Safety bathing suit



June 18, 1935. J. FRIED SAFETY BATHING SUIT Filed Oct. 5, 1933 I/VVf/VTOP Qjq 005 39150.

WITNESS.'

ATTORNEYS Patented June 18, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY BATHING SUIT Jacob Fried, New York, N. Y. Application October 5, 1933, Serial No. 692,271

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in bathing suits, and more particularly to a safety bathing suit.

One of the main objects of the invention resides in a bathing suit having air bags or Wings adapted to be inflated to afford ample buoyancy to maintain the wearer of the suit upon the surface of the water when in use, to avoid accidental drowning to those persons unable to swim and also to protect those who may be expert swimmers but venture beyond their depth and for physical reasons are unable to keep afloat.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a safety. non-sinkable bathing suit which may be worn by persons learning to swim to lend confidence, and which does not interfere with the body or arm movement of the swimmer.

A further feature is the provision of a safety bathing suit having a pair of air bags or wings at opposite sides thereof which when inflated, extend outward from the wearers sides, but which when deflated the bags are foldable into pockets and the bathing suit resembles in appearance that of an ordinary one.

Another feature resides in a safety bathing suit which is simple in construction, easy to inflate and deflate, comfortable to the wearer, and neat and attractive in appearance.

With these and other objects in View, the invention resides in the certain novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my safety bathing suit upon a wearer with the air bags inflated.

Figure 2 is a side elevational View of the safety bathing suit with the air bags in deflated concealed position.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view illustrating the manner in which the air bags are inflated.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional View with the air bags inflated.

Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view through one of the air bag pockets with the air bag in operative position in full lines, and in inoperative position in dotted lines.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the numeral Ill designates the bathing suit which may be of either the one or two piece style, and which includes an upper garment portion l i. In the drawing, the bathing suit is illustrated as being of the ladies type, although the invention about to be described map be embodied also in mens and childrens bathing suits.

Stitched to opposite sides of the upper garment portion l I directly above the waist line are pockets I2 which are substantially flat so as to lie close to the sides of the upper garment portion l l. Thepockets l2 have their outer walls slit longitudinally from the bottom upwardly toprovide a pocket opening it, the pocket openings being initially closed by snap fasteners M closed by a slide fastener l5.

Fixedly secured to the upper garment portion H within the pockets [2 are inflatable air bags l6, the same being secured to the bathing suit by stitching or the likei'i. The air bags it are enclosed within a fabric covering 18 which is also secured to the bathing suit by stitching E9. The

air bags when extended are wing shaped as shown in Figure 3 of the drawing, and the same may be of that type similar to the present construction of water wings wherein the bag must first be wet before capable of becoming air tight, although the said bags may be constructed of rubber or rubberized material if desired.

Connecting the air bags I6 is a tube 20 which extends across the front of the upper garment portion i l and which tube is enclosed in a fabric strip or tape 2! stitched along its edges to the inside of the upper garment portion H as at 22. The tape 2i coacts with the front of the upper portion II to provide a channel or passage for the tube 26. Integral with and extending upwardly from the tape 2! is a pocket 23 stitched to the front of the upper garment portion i l and through which a blow tube 24 extends, the said tube being connected to the tube 20 and having a check valve 25 in the free mouth piece end thereof. The top of the pocket 23 is open but may be closed by button means 26. The pocket is adapted to receive the blow tube 24 when not in use as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 4 of the drawing.

The air bags it are provided with air release valves 21 by which the air within the air bags it may be released for deflating the same.

In use, assume that the pockets I2 are closed as shown in Figure 2 of the drawing, and it is desired to extend the air bags for inflation. The pockets l2 are opened by pulling apart the snap fasteners M and thence opening the slide fasteners i5 whereupon the air bags may be pulled outwardly of the pockets through the pocket openings 53. The wearer then unbuttons the pockets 23 and removes the blow tube 2t and places the free end of the same in the mouth and blows and finally tube 24 passes simultaneously to the air bags l6 through the tube 26 and after sulficient air has been blown into the air bags, the blow tube 24 is coiled up into the pockets 23 and the said pockets closed. With the air bags inflated, the same extend outwardly from opposite sides of the wearer as best seen in Figures 1 and 2, and provide sufficient buoyancy to support the wearer upon the surface of the water while bathing.

After leaving the water the wearer may deflate the air bags l6 by actuation of the air release valve 27 and the air bags are then folded into their respective pockets as shown in dotted lines in Figure of the drawing. After which the pocket openings l3 may be closed by fastening the snap fasteners l4 and closing the slide fastener I5. When in this position, the bathing suit resembles an ordinary bathing suit as the safety wings are concealed.

While I have shown and described what I deem to be the most desirable and practical embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that such changes as come within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to if desired.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a bathing suit having open pockets at opposite sides thereof, the pocket openings being disposed exteriorly of the bathing suit, relatively flat, inflatable air bags fixedly secured along one edge to the bathing suit within said pockets and foldable when deflated into said pockets and extendable through the pocket openings for inflation, and closure means for said pocket openings for closing the same when'said air bags are folded therein.

2,005,460 therethrough. Thus the air blown through the 2. In a bathing suit having open pockets at opposite sides thereof, the pocket openings being disposed exteriorly of the bathing suit, relatively flat inflatable air bags fixedly secured along one edge to the bathing suit within said pockets and foldable when deflated into said pockets and extendable through the pocket openings for inflation, means accessible to the mouth of a wearer of said bathing suit and communicating through the secured edges of the bags for manually and simultaneously blowing air, into said air bags, and closure means for said pocket openings for closing the same when said air bags are folded therein.

3. In a bathing suit having open pockets at opposite sides thereof, the pocket openings being disposed exteriorly of the bathing suit, relatively flat inflatable air bags having one edge extended vertically and fixedly secured to the bathing suit within said pockets said bags being foldable when deflated into said pockets and extendable through the pocket openings for inflation whereby to project outwardly in wing-like formation to support the wearer in a horizontal position upon the surface of the water, and slide fastener devices for closing said pocket openings.

4. In a bathing suit having openings at opposite sides thereof, a pair of inflatable relatively flat wing-like bags fixed along one edge toopposite sides of said bathing suit'for folding inwardly through said openings when in deflated condition said bags projecting outwardly beyond opposite sides of said bathing suit when in position for inflation, and closure means for closing said openings when said air bags are in deflated and folde position inwardly of said bathing suit.

JACOB FRIED. 

